Guardian
by Tessa Honeybee
Summary: Bumblebee is rescued by the Autobots as a sparkling. But young Bumblebee doesn't understand what's happened to his family. If he is to survive, he must accept the Autobots as his new family, and accept a different parental figure/guardian.


The newest and youngest addition to the Autobot team, laid in Optimus Prime's lap. He stretched out under the comfort of Optimus Prime's large hand, but curled into a ball every time the other hand offered him energon. The more Optimus urged the sparkling to drink, the more the sparkling protested and wiggled his head away from the cube. It was late in the night after the most grusome battle the Autobots had fought in a long time. The battle later to be known as The Sparkling Massecre, which the yellow sparkling was rescued from, had exhausted the Autobots. They were all tired, but Optimus Prime refused to recharge now. He promised himself he would not rest until he knew the sparkling was healthy and safe. He inched the cube closer to the sparkling again and rubbed the sparkling's neck to influence him to open his mouth and swallow.

"Please take it, sparkling." Optimus whispered. The sparkling still refused the energon and turned his head away. When Optimus set the energon cube out of sight, the sparkling looked back at Optimus. The sparkling was clearly tired, but his optics never even dimmed. He just stared up at Optimus Prime, looking dazed and lost. When a door opened, the sparkling rolled over to see who was entering Optimus Prime's quarters. Ratchet took a step in, but waited at the entrance.

"Any luck, Prime?" Ratchet asked. Optimus merely made optic contact with the medic for just a klick before returning his full attention to the tiny sparkling. Ratchet nodded and took the glance as an invitation to come in. Ratchet walked in and sat next to Optimus on the berth. The sparkling shifted in Optimus Prime's arms, and watched Ratchet suspiciously.

"I thought you said the sparkling was malnourished." Optimus said, sitting the currious sparkling up so he could see Ratchet.

"It might be that way, but you can't expect a sparkling to trust you the nanoklick you pick it up." Ratchet replied.

"I don't see why he shouldn't. I was the first mech the sparkling came in contact with when we rescued him."

"Yes. But this is no newspark, Optimus. We may have decided that you would be his guardian, but the sparkling already has, or _had _creators." The sparkling lost interest in Ratchet squirmed away from Optimus Prime's hand. Optimus let the sparkling venture to the edge of his knees. The sparkling sat on his own knees and watched the door, concentrating on nothing else. "He's probably wondering when his creators are coming for him." Ratchet continued.

"How will we make him understand they abandoned him, or offlined in the massecre?" Optimus whispered, fearing how much the young one would understand of that if he heard.

"I don't know." Ratchet shrugged. "I just hope he'll realize it shortly. The sooner he accepts you as his guardian, the better." An alarm alerted Optimus Prime and Ratchet that there was trouble. Optimus Prime imediatly contacted Prowl.

:Prowl. Report.:

:Decepticons are back, Prime. Outside our underground entrance. Starscream has hostages.: Prowl informed.

:I'm on my way.: Optimus comfirmed. Optimus nodded to Ratchet. Ratchet hurried out the door, knowing he where he was needed. Ratchet prepared the med bay for the rescued hostages he was sure to have as patients. Optimus carried the sparkling to the door and contacted Ironhide next.

:Ironhide I need you.: Optimus Prime said. In nanoklicks, Ironhide's cybertronian vehicle form zoomed towards Optimus and transformed in front of him.

"Anything you need..." Ironhide replied, charging up his giant cannons. The sparkling in Prime's arms, quivered at the sight of Ironhide. He was big, loud, and powering up his weapons only frightened the sparkling more. The sparkling hid his face in Optimus Prime's arm.

"That won't be necessary." Optimus interupted. Ironhide put his cannons away and looked at Optimus with a quizical expression on his face. Optimus answered Ironhide's silent question by holding the sparkling in one hand and presenting him to Ironhide. Ironhide looked at the sparkling and shook his head.

"Absolutly not Prime!" Ironhide said. Optimus glared at Ironhide. "I'm your bodyguard! Not a sparklingsitter." Ironhide argued.

"Then you should have no trouble _guarding _my future charge." Optimus remarked, sliding the sparkling into Ironhide's hand. The sparkling squeaked in surprise, and tried to crawl out of Ironhide's hand. Ironhide held the sparkling with loose fingers and kept him still. Instead of struggling and whining, the sparkling froze. He lost all sense of understanding his situation from all of the new faces and how fast everything changed around him. He was suddenly scared and confused. The sparkling's frame quivered. He hid his optics in his hands, and turned away from Ironhide's face. Ironhide looked at the sparkling and then at Optimus again.

"Future charge?" Ironhide asked.

"It will take time til he recognizes me as his new guardian. Until he understands and accepts that the Autobots are his new family, we are not bonded as guardian and charge yet." Optimus Prime explained. "Be gentle with him Ironhide." Optimus transformed into his cybertronian vehicle mode, and drove off to join the battle outside. Outside where Ironhide knew he should be. He wasn't the least bit happy about a sparkling getting in the way of his duty to Optimus. Ironhide groaned and set the sparkling on his shoulder and carried him to his quarters. The sparkling was scared stiff of Ironhide and didn't make a single noise until Ironhide set him down on the floor. The sparkling crawled backwards a few feet and then stopped and stared at Ironhide. Ironhide noted how the sparkling's head seemed so big compared to the rest of his body. The sparkling was the smallest one Ironhide had ever seen.

"You'll fit in fine here." Ironhide said. "You'll have everyone on their knees with a cute sparkling face like that." Ironhide stretched out one finger and rubbed the sparkling's head playfully. Something changed in the sparkling's optics. They brightened up, and then the sparkling actually smiled. Since Optimus Prime brought him onto the base, the sparkling hardly showed any emotion to anyone. And now he was smiling at Ironhide. The sweet and inocent smile brought back so many memories of his own sparkling.

Ironhide and Chromia had one sparkling femme to call their own. Sparkling Ion, took after Ironhide in appearance and personality. Ion was his whole world until Ironhide's and Chromia's lives in the war were putting their sparkling's life at risk. So Chromia agreed to leave the Autobot ranks, until she found a place to take Ion, where she would be raised safely. Leaving Ironhide and the Autobots was the hardest choice Chromia ever made. But Ironhide and Chromia both agreed that they had to do what was best for Ion. Even if it ment that while Ironhide fought the war, he would never get to see Ion growing up.

The yellow sparkling chirped and brought Ironhide back to reality. The sparkling was suddenly acting a lot more lively and happier. He was tugging at Ironhide's hand, trying to balance himself and stand up. He giggled at himself everytime he slipped. The sparkling clung to Ironhide's hand and fluttered his tiny doorwings. He fluttered his doorwings faster and began hopping up towards Ironhide.

"What are you doing, sparkling?" Ironhide chuckled. The sparkling squealed with joy as he pushed away from Ironhide's supporting hand, and hovered in mid air with his doorwings flapping as hard as they could. When he stopped flapping, he landed flat on his back and hit his wings hard. Ironhide smirked at how the sparkling's curiosity got the best of him. "You little bumble. You can't fly with doorwings." The sparkling rolled over to get off his wings, but was startled by a roaring sound shaking the base. He dove between Ironhide's legs and covered his head. Ironhide was completly calm, knowing the roaring sound ment the Decepticons were taking off. But the sparkling was terrified. He began screaching in familiar tones which Ironhide remembered Ion making when she was scared or in trouble. Ironhide knew from experiance, that the sparkling was calling for his creators to come protect him. Ironhide felt sorry for the orphaned sparkling. He knelt down close to the sparkling and tried to comfort him. "I don't know how much you'll understand of what I'm telling you. But I've been in your place. I never got to know my creators either. Not because of war, but still... I can tell you, it's going to be hard without them." The sparkling sniveled. Ironhide was sure now that the sparkling understood his predicament. The sparkling bowed his head and miserably weapt. Ironhide scooped the crying sparkling up in his arms. "It's going to be hard." Ironhide continued as he rocked the sparkling in his arms. "And I will be here to help you through it, every step of the way." The sparkling calmed down, but coolant tears still flowed down his face. Ironhide decided to call Optimus. :Prime. He knows.:

:Understood. I will be there any moment now.: Optimus responded.

:Actually Prime. I was hoping that I could care for the sparkling. If you don't mind.:

:So you've become attached to him?:

:Yes. I honestly believe that he was ment to be my charge. He reminds me of Ion.:

:Then that's quite alright with me. You are one of the few of the Autobot team who have had a sparkling before. The sparkling would be best placed in your care.:

:Thank you Prime. But are you sure it is okay. You're not offended or disapointed at all?:

:The Autobot the sparkling needs most is you. And maybe you need him too.: The comm link connection ended. Ironhide scooted the sparkling over his chest, so the sparkling could hear his new guardian's spark thrumb. The sparkling listened and accepted it with content humming. Ironhide stroked the sparkling's back until he recharged. Then Ironhide stood up from the floor and laid down on his berth with the sparkling still cradled in his arms. They were bonded now. That meant that as the sparkling's guardian, Ironhide commited himself entirely to protecting his charge. Ironhide offlined his optics and recited something his former guardian told him. Except this time, he subsituted his own name with the sparkling's new chosen name. "Bumblebee. I am your guardian. And I promise to love and protect you for as long as I function."


End file.
